title: [The representations of menopause: social products of age and sex].
abstract: The aim of this survey is to identify the representations of the menopause in general population and to identify socioculturals determinants of attitudes toward hormone replacement therapy (HRT). For this qualitative study 60 through interviews were performed with women aged between 40 and 65. Four representations were found: negative, ambivalent, neutral and positive. The negative pole, which is dominant, corresponds to the assignation of women to domestic and reproduction functions. The positive pole corresponds to access of women to some social autonomy. Thus, representations of the menopause form a major element of the symbolic domination on middle aged women. Medicalisation and cosmetic practices are the most strongly correlated variables with taking HRT. Three dimensions appear in the social uses of HRT: medical, cosmetic and symbolic, which intervene in various ways according different representations.
authors.affiliation: CRESP, UFR Santé Médecine Biologie, Bobigny.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Delanoë
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001504:Beauty; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013561:Symbolism
vernacular_title: Les représentations de la ménopause: un enjeu des rapports sociaux d'âge et de sexe.